Bridge Fire in Southern California explodes over 10 times in size

陈小将

LOS ANGELES - Bridge Fire, the largest wildfire in California as of Wednesday, exponentially exploded from 4,000 acres (16.2 square km) early Tuesday to nearly 48,000 acres (194.2 square km) with zero containment.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the blaze, jumping in size over ten times in 24 hours, has expanded from Los Angeles County into neighboring San Bernardino County.

In an update Wednesday afternoon, officials said about 40 homes and cabins were destroyed in fire. There have been no reports of significant injuries or deaths.

Bridge Fire is one of three major fires in southern California, along with Line Fire and Airport Fire, which all sparked amid an intense heatwave that brought triple digit temperatures and dry conditions to the region.

Officials said a 34-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday. He was accused of sparking the Line Fire burning in the foothills of the San Bernardino National Forest, east of Los Angeles, which spanned over 34,600 acres (140.1 square km) at 14 percent containment as of Wednesday.

Justin Wayne Halstenberg, a Fedex delivery driver, was allegedly started Bridge Fire intentionally on Sept. 5, but local authorities did not disclose how he did it.

Meanwhile, Airport Fire, started Monday afternoon in Orange County, now stands at over 22,000 acres (89.1 square km) with zero containment, according to the latest Cal Fire data.